” Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith (1Peter5:8-9 tPt).

To overcome the schemes of Satan, we must first learn to recognize the strategies that he repeatedly uses against mankind. In general, his scheme is a repeat performance-not a new strategy. Even still, while living on fallen planet earth, Christians are easily pulled out of walking in the Spirit and deceived by the enemy of our soul. One common attack strategy the enemy often implements is called THREE-STRIKES-and-YOU’RE-OUT.

Strike one occurs when Satan hits us with a difficult situation. Yet we confess and declare in faith,” I am going to trust in the Lord to take care of this situation, and I believe He will see me through this unsettling event”. Yes, I’m stable and fixed in the Lord Jesus Christ”.

Strike two hits us when Satan comes to create added stress through more unsettling circumstances. Usually, this strike hits a fragile or unhealed place in our soul. Now, this gives the enemy an entry point into our emotions, which opens us up to feelings of fear, anger, hurt, helplessness, etc. The fear begins to expand and feel larger than our faith- it bites. But in spite of all this, we continue pressing on in faith, as we struggle to overcome the helpless feelings attached to our fear. We may say, “I will cast all my care on Jesus”, yet because of our heart wounds the fear feels like it is growing- we totter.

Then the Enemy’s overwhelming third blow strikes-a blow designed to devour our faith, discourage our heart, bring hopelessness, bring doubt (doubt+fear=unbelief), and tempt us to question the goodness of God and His plans. We don’t want to feel this way, but the clarity of walking in the Spirit and hearing God is not present at this point. Our trusting faith has been jolted and we are going in figuring circles- feeling discombobulated! Then the enemy comes to accuse, bring doubt, create worry, more fear, unbelief, and the feeling of needing to run away(dissociate), instead of running to God.

Now, realizing we are under a STRIKE-ONE-TWO-THREE diabolical attack we must cry out to Yeshua Jesus in prayer for help, “SHELTER ME OH LORD- SHELTER ME OH LORD- SHELTER ME OH LORD! (Psalm61:3). As we continue crying out this prayer, we will soon find the oppression beginning to lift, while trusting faith, peace, and Holy Spirit clarity returns. King Jesus becomes our wrap around shield and pushes back the enemy of our souls (Isaiah59:19).

Now with the enemy pushed back and with Holy Spirit clarity, we can stand in faith, and “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Eph 6:10-11). We are destined to rise victoriously!

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72Marianne Dias, Mike Keenan and 70 others

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